To greener pastures....

March 1 – 14: JS Bach

            VGCM p55-86

ANTONIO VIVALDI

The Four Seasons

Assorted concertos, including L'Amoroso and the collection L'Estro armonico

JS BACH

Collections of shorter pieces including "Sheep May Safely Graze," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," etc.

Instrumental works

Brandenburg Concertos.

Harpsichord concertos, including no. 1 in D minor, no. 4 in A major, and no. 5 in F minor

French and English Suites for harpsichord

Goldberg Variations (Aria with Thirty Variations)

The Well-Tempered Clavier

Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas and Partitas, especially the Partita no. 2 in D minor

Unaccompanied Cello Suites, especially no. 1 in G major and no. 2 in D minor

Organ music, including the Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, and Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Choral works

Cantatas: Christ lag in Todesbanden, Eth' feste Burg ist unser Gott, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme

Magnificat in D

St. Matthew Passion

B minor Mass

The Future

Faure Requiem night is Monday (along with Gorecki 3).  I actually had a lot to say about this the other night after I listened to the Ren music with my Faure score, but I am not smart enough to remember what I heard yesterday, much less the connections between centuries I briefly made last week.  Alas.

I have to be honest, the baroque is not grabbing my attention.  Carra comes back this week (finally!), so I decided to make my last Saturday night at home enjoyable by ditching the baroque and working through some of my favorites.  Beethoven 7, Brahms 4, Bach Mass in B Minor, and some Schubert Leider have been heard.  I think I have one more left in me before turning in.  Harmonium anybody?

Penguin Guide Rosette Winners on Spotify

The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music has a special Rosette designation for recording that they find "show special illumination, magic, a spiritual quality or even outstanding production values, that place it in a very special class" (p. xi, 2009).

Spotify user Ulyessestone has created a playlist that has many of the available Rosette winners on Spotify. You can find that list here. (http://open.spotify.com/user/ulyssestone/playlist/4ibvGb48nfYbBt44Xb8FIe)

Enjoy!

The Next Phase

Enjoying some transitional Bruckner this evening. Von Karajan rocks 8 like nobody's business (BPO rendition).  In other news, I heard a bit of the NPR broadcast of the Met's Rigoletto whist shopping today -- it sounded nice.  I reckon Carra and I will check it out when the encore performance comes around.

Not looking good for New York in March.  However, Houston in April is still a go.  Also, would anybody be interested in seeing La Boheme in Seattle on March 7 or March 8?

If it ain't.....Part 1

February 15 – 28: Gabriel, Monteverdi, Vivaldi

            VGCM p34-54

GIOVANNI GABRIELI

Collections of Canzone per sonare for brass and/or winds

Polychoral motets

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI

Madrigals, including Se Vittorie si belle and Zefiro torna Opera: L'Incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) Vespers of 1610 (a.k.a. Vespers of the Blessed Virgin)

HEINRICH SCHUTZ

Sacred Symphonies, including Saul, was verfolgst du mich? Musikalische Exequien (German Requiem)

Christmas Oratorio

GIACOMO CARISSIMI

Oratorio: Jephte

JEAN-BAPTISTE LULLY

Opera excerpts

ARCANGELO CORELLI

Concerti grossi op. 6

HENRY PURCELL

Ode for St. Cecilia's Day 
Dido and Aeneas

FRANCOIS COUPERIN

Harpsichord suites

JEAN-PHILIPPE RAMEAU

Pieces de clavecin en concerts Opera excerpts

Best symphonies of all time?

http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best-classic-symp.html

What do you think?

Week 1 in the 14th century

OK.  At first I thought "this doesn't sound much different from the Middle ages".  But I think I am beginning to get it.  The melodies are much more "modern" and a bit sweeter.   Helped the play some Machaut vs Dufay back to back.

The Renaissance Race to Valentine's Day starts NOW!

Renaissance, ca. 1430-1600

February 1 – 14:Desprez, Lasso, Palestrina

            VGCM p18-33

GUILLAUME DUFAY

Mass, L'homme arme, motets including Nuper rosarum flores

Secular songs

JOSQUIN DESPREZ

Secular songs, including Mille regretz, El Grillo, etc.

Motets, including Veni sancte spiritus and Absalon, fili mi

Masses: L’homme arme and Pange lingua

ORLANDO DI LASSO

Madrigals and secular songs including "Matona mia cara," "Bonjour, mon coeur," and "Ich weiss mir em n Meidlein"

GIOVANNI DA PALESTRINA

Pope Marcellus Mass

RECORDED MADRIGAL COT IF.CTIONS

(Collegium Vocale Köln, Madrigals, 2 CDs, on Odyssey.)

WILLIAM BYRD

Masses and motet Ave verum corpus